Things are getting tight as we enter the final matchday of the Champions League league phase. The stakes couldn’t be higher and this is a time during which teams have to look to their stars to get them to the next stage of the competition. From prize money to spots in the knockout stage, so much is at stake on the final day of play which is sure to make Wednesday, Feb. 29 a day to remember. All matches will be kicking off at 3 p.m. ET and you can Paramount+.
Let’s take a look at some of the players who could define the final day of play.
Santiago Gimenez, FWD (Feyenoord)
A fun, what-could’ve-been exercise is what would’ve happened had Santiago Gimenez had been healthy to begin the season for Feyenoord. The Dutch side have had an excellent league phase only losing to Bayer Leverkusen and RB Salzburg but that second loss may have been avoided with their talisman leading the line and the three points could prove to be critical. With that victory, Feyenoord may have already been in the top eight teams but facing Lille, they can still make it if things break their way as an unlikely team to crash the party of Europe’s elite. There was a blip after Arne Slot left for Liverpool, but with the talent in this Dutch side, they’ve turned things around and kept the machine rolling. Gimenez could be the one to punch their ticket.
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Kevin De Bruyne, MID (Manchester City)
It’s a tough choice between Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden for this slot, but when it’s do-or-die time, that’s when the captain needs to step up. Frankly, City need help from around the pitch as scoring goals hadn’t been the issue but considering that they haven’t been able to defend either, it’s a reason why they need to look to the Belgian to help the team put as many goals as possible past Brugge. Despite missing time with injuries, De Bruyne has two goals and six assists in Premier League play but has yet to be involved in a Champions League goal. To make it into the knockout stage, City will need him to be at his best to ensure victory.
Ousmane Dembele, FWD (Paris Saint-Germain)
With six goals in his last four matches, there are few players hotter than Ousmane Dembele right now for PSG. He’s playing some of his best soccer and helping fill the void left by Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid. With 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions, the only thing that has been able to stop Dembele this season are injuries which have limited his minutes, but back to health now, he’s someone who Luis Enrique will look to early and often to help get past Stuttgart. This won’t change the fact that PSG’s UCL campaign has been a disappointment so far, but as long as they continue moving forward, that’s all that matters.
Jonathan David, FWD (Lille)
Taking a look at the Champions League Golden Boot race, there are familiar names leading the charge such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and Serhou Guirassy, but right alongside them is Jonathan David. The Canadian has seven goals and three assists so far in Champions League play helping push Lille within striking distance of a top-eight spot in the knockout stages. For years, there has been wonder about when David would leave Lille and end up elsewhere but with him in form like this, they can’t afford to lose David anytime soon. Alongside Edon Zhegrova, Lille have an attack that can make any team pay.
Jules Kounde, DEF (Barcelona)
While Jules Kounde was a defense-first right back, that seems to be changing slightly under Hansi Flick with him having the ability to roam a bit more. This has led to three assists already in Champions League play and in an open match against Atalanta, there could be room for more. Kounde’s defensive chops will also be tested since Atalanta can also score at will. It’ll be a fascinating match and with a victory and help, Barcelona can top the first-ever league phase of the tournament.
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Matchday 8 TV schedule
All times Eastern
Champions League standings
Key: Positions 1-8 qualify for round of 16 while positions 9-24 qualify for knockout phase playoffs and positions 25-36 are eliminated.
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 18 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 |
| 4 | Inter | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 16 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 15 |
| 6 | AC Milan | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 15 |
| 7 | Atalanta | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 14 |
| 8 | Bayer Leverkusen | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 13 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 13 |
| 10 | AS Monaco | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| 11 | Feyenoord | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 13 |
| 12 | Lille | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 13 |
| 13 | Brest | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 14 | Borussia Dortmund | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 1 | +8 | 12 |
| 15 | Bayern Munich | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 12 |
| 16 | Real Madrid | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 12 |
| 17 | Juventus | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 12 |
| 18 | Celtic | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 19 | PSV | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 20 | Club Brugge | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 11 |
| 21 | Benfica | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 10 |
| 22 | PSG | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 |
| 23 | Sporting CP | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 10 |
| 24 | Stuttgart | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 10 |
| 25 | Manchester City | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 8 |
| 26 | Dinamo Zagreb | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 8 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 5 |
| 29 | Sparta Prague | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 4 |
| 30 | RB Leipzig | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 3 |
| 31 | Girona | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 32 | Crvena Zvezda | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 3 |
| 33 | Sturm Graz | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 3 |
| 34 | RB Salzburg | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 24 | -18 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 | -20 | 0 |
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